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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rash — hasty
  8. present — the time now
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rest — a break
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. rash — a series
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lash — a whip stroke

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com